'Dognition' games can reveal your dog's mind (can't help with cats)

By JAKE ELLISON, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

Updated 9:42 pm, Tuesday, February 5, 2013

It's not for your kid or cat, so don't get any ideas about using this tool for figuring out what those two are thinking (though we've figured out the cats, see above). But, if you're wondering what Fido is thinking and how you can better communicate with him, this new tool might be for you.

And, if you use it, you'll be helping the science of understanding dogs.

Dognition is a new company in Durham, N.C., offering a science-based set of tools and games for understanding your dog. The company launched out of its beta phase Tuesday morning.

"These are science-based games that should be very fun to play with your dog, for both human and dog alike. And while you're doing it, you can know that you are participating in actual science that can be used to help dogs," said Brian Hare, a Duke University professor and founder of Dognition. "At the same time, it can reveal how your individual dog is thinking."

The games – you can see how the system works in the gallery above – center on discovering your dog's level of empathy, communication, cunning (is he/she trustworthy or wily), memory and reasoning abilities.

Once you play one of the games, Dognition then pumps out a report that compares your dog with other dogs in its database and what your dog's tendencies are. For instance, if your dog appears wily to you – or doesn't listen when you know he knows what you want – it could be because you're not making eye contact when giving a command. If so, then your dog might think it doesn't really have to listen to what you want if you're not looking at him.

And the results of your game also goes into the database as yet more information for Dognition and its scientists to use in their high-level research on dog behavior and cognition.

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Dognition is a new online set of tools and games for better understanding your dog and contributing to the scientific understanding of them.

Dognition is a new online set of tools and games for better understanding your dog and contributing to the scientific understanding of them.

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Dognition game.

Dognition game.

Photo: Ellison, Jake, Courtesy Dognition

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Dognition game.

Dognition game.

Photo: Ellison, Jake, Courtesy Dognition

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Dognition game.

Dognition game.

Photo: Ellison, Jake, Courtesy Dognition

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Dognition game.

Dognition game.

Photo: Ellison, Jake, Courtesy Dognition

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Dognition game.

Dognition game.

Photo: Ellison, Jake, Courtesy Dognition

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Dognition game.

Dognition game.

Photo: Ellison, Jake, Courtesy Dognition

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Dognition game.

Dognition game.

Photo: Ellison, Jake, Courtesy Dognition

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Dognition game.

Dognition game.

Photo: Ellison, Jake, Courtesy Dognition

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

What cats think. (Cat photo by Martie Swart/Flickr)

Photo: PI

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'Dognition' games can reveal your dog's mind (can't help with cats)

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One of the benefits of this "crowd-sourced" science, Hare said, is the collection of a vast amount of data that would be impossible for scientists to collect. For instance, information on how breeds of dogs differ in thought and skills

"It's in the interest of all dog owners if we can figure these things out, because everybody is going to benefit from understanding these more population-based questions," Hare said.

Can one play these games with kids to figure out more about them?

Laughing, Hare said, “I’m not going to answer that. … That’s not a designed use for the tool!”